Never Again
by The Phantom of Hogwarts
Summary: Harry's in for a surprise on Easter, when, after he and Snape were forced to spend a summer together, Snape makes a proposal he can't refuse. Nonslash, a oneshot, originally written for a friend.


_Disclaimer: Not mine. I wish, though. _

_This is dedicated to one of my very best friends; she's been encouraging me greatly on the other fic, and she's helped, even with little things. __  
__Set at the beginning of Harry's sixth year; he and Severus were forced to spend the summer together, they get closer, and love ensues. You know. The usualness for moi._  
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"Wait. Just…..stop. You're not serious, are you?" Harry was shocked, to say the least. That was actually a bit of an understatement.

"Mr. Potter, I assure that if I were your mutt of a godfather… Well, let's not speak of the impossible. It is a simple question, Harry, but honestly, if you need time to think, just say so. I have other things to do."

Snape wanted to adopt him. Sure they'd been getting along since Sirius died, but adoption? Harry didn't know what to do. It would be nice to have a dad, but what would his mum and dad have to say? And Sirius, too?

"I know what you're thinking. Your mother and father, I'm sure, would want you to be happy, as would Black." Snape said this quietly, as if he couldn't believe he was actually saying it.

"Really? No offense, Severus, but…you weren't exactly best friends with them." Harry still was unsure, but he didn't care. He wanted a dad that was alive. He wanted love.

"Be that as it may, boy, I'm not entirely ignorant, and I would appreciate it if-" He couldn't finish what he was saying, because harry had intervened.

"Yes. What do I need to do?" Harry was on the verge of jumping, but he was grinning like a maniac.

"What?"

"I said yes. Sometimes I worry about you…."

Snape sighed. "Yes, well… We just need two witnesses and our signatures. Sign it here, after I do." The older man signed the papers elegantly and Harry felt like his handwriting was exceedingly sloppy compared to Snape's.

"Who're the witnesses?" Harry was unsure how everyone else would feel about this…unseen turn of events.

"Well, I was thinking about asking the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall, if they are alright with you?" The truth of it all was that Snape had already asked them both. They immediately agreed, and began telling Snape that it would help both him and Harry.

"Yeah, that's fine. Can we go now?" Harry was excited, Snape could tell. It was hard not to; the boy was practically jumping and down.

"Yes." Snape nodded, and led the way to Dumbledore's office. Harry was surprised to see that McGonagall was there, too.

"So, Severus does this mean you are adopting Harry?" McGonagall asked.

"No, professor, I am simply here to talk about his punishment. Of course that's why we're here." Ah, and there was the Severus she knew and didn't quite love.

"Well, then, Severus, I'm sure Harry's very excited, so why don't you give us the papers to sign?" Dumbledore said, chuckling at Harry's eagerness.

Snape handed the papers first to McGonagall and then to Dumbledore. After both had signed, the papers disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. The room was completely silent until Harry somehow managed to tackle Snape. He kept up a mantra of, "Thank you!" while lying on top of the man, until he realized what he was doing.

Harry got up, helped Snape off the floor, and apologized while he was blushing. Snape merely smirked, Dumbledore was chuckling, and McGonagall looked as though she were in between smiling knowingly and laughing at Harry's antics.

"Severus," Dumbledore said, "why don't you and Harry spend the rest of the day together? I'm sure Harry would enjoy it, wouldn't you, my boy?"

Harry nodded; he was, after all, still embarrassed about tackling his new dad. Snape nodded, and walked out the door, Harry following behind him. When they got to the potions master's rooms, they sat on the couch in companionable silence.

Snape break it by asking, "Harry, what would you like to do today?" He draped an arm across the boy's shoulders.

Harry leaned into Snape, comforted by the gesture. "Whatever you want to do…." He was feeling tired, and his eyes began to droop. He felt Snape's chest vibrate, and was surprised to hear the man laugh.

"Go to sleep, Harry. I'll be right here with you."

"Thanks…" Harry began muttering drowsily, and he finished his sentence. "...Dad."

Snape smiled a true smile, and held Harry closer against him. He summoned a blanket, wrapping it around both himself and his new son. He soon fell asleep.

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Albus Dumbledore felt as though he couldn't be happier than he was now. His two favorite boys were getting along smashingly, and he was happy about it. Of course, after all they had been through, who wouldn't be? This meddlesome, old man decided to check on the two of them in Severus's dungeons.

Some students might have been worried to see Albus Dumbledore walking in the dungeons, smiling and whistling a merry tune. Then again, most of the population of Hogwarts sometimes thought that the old man was a little insane.

He made his way to Severus's rooms, and said the password to gain entrance. He saw both of his boys sleeping on the couch, and decided to scare them. Until he saw a large spider. He let out a small squeak, and tried, valiantly, to kill it, but failed miserably.

"Severus. Severus!" Dumbledore whispered hastily, trying to wake the man up.

"What do you want, Headmaster?" Snape asked groggily.

"Kill it!" was the simple answer he got.

"Kill what?" Snape then saw the Dumbledore was looking at in terror. "The spider?"

At Dumbledore's nod, he said, "It's not going to hurt. Honestly, sir, it's nothing but a little spider."

"Little?! Severus, that's not little! That's the complete opposite!"

They were both startled when they heard Harry giggling on the sofa.

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Harry had been trying so hard not to laugh, he really did! But it was so funny to see the great Albus Dumbledore afraid of a little spider!

"Harry!" Dumbledore exclaimed, and quickly went to him for help. "Since Severus won't kill it, will you?"

Harry simply nodded, still laughing at the Headmaster. He walked over to where the spider was, and squished it with his foot.

"There, sir. He's gone, and he won't be coming back."

"Thank you, Harry." Dumbledore rounded on a smirking Severus. "But you, young man! Are trying to make an old man like me go into cardiac arrest?"

"Of course not. I was simply enjoying see you, of all people, afraid of a little spider."

Harry quickly interrupted them by asking Dumbledore, "Why are you here, sir? I was having a really good nap!"

"Ah, yes. I just wanted to check on you two; see how things were going."

"Always the meddlesome one, eh, Headmaster?"

"Of course, Severus. Someone has to do it, don't they?"

"Touché, Headmaster, Touché."

"Don't worry, sir. Dad," Harry smiled here, and inclined his head in Snape's direction, "and I are fine. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to my nap, and I'm sure Dad would, too."

"Yes. It was rather nice…until, of course, I saw Albus Dumbledore cowering because of a spider."

"Severus," Dumbledore said sternly, "you're not going to blackmail because of this, are you?"

"Of course I will. I already spelled that foolish Defense teacher, Herbert, into the rabbit suit, didn't I? Such a good Easter, today, wasn't it?" Severus was smirking, and the smirk was quickly turning into a smile.

"T-that was you?!" Harry asked, shocked, but laughing. "That was brilliant!" Harry remembered that morning, and seeing Herbert hopping out of the Great Hall in a brightly colored rabbit costume.

"Well, I shall take my leave. Happy Easter, you two." As Dumbledore walked out the door, he heard two identical 'You, too, sirs.' He chuckled.

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"Yes. Happy Easter, indeed." Snape spoke to Harry.

"Thank you, sir. This has been a great day."

"Well, as long as you don't speak to anyone about the rabbit suit, or the spider episode, I'll be quite content."

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Harry exclaimed, albeit a bit cheekily.

Severus merely sneered, and then told Harry that if they were going to nap, he'd at least like a bed to sleep on. He and Harry slipped into the man's large, dark green bed. Harry sighed and snuggled into Snape, while the man 'cuddled' with him. 'Merlin help me.' Snape thought. 'I'm going soft.'

A voice countered him in his head. 'You've always cared about the boy. You just didn't know it.'

'Touché. Now, I'm arguing with myself. Wonderful!' Knowing he was beaten, he gave up, sighed contentedly, and whispered, "I love you, Harry."

He heard a mumbled, "Love you, too, Dad." Snape fell asleep, the warmth of Harry comforting him, while the 'Love you, too, Dad' echoed through his mind. For once in his life, Severus Snape didn't feel alone, and he never would again.  
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_I sincerely hope you all enjoyed this, and it's an Easter present from me. It's going to take me some time before I can actually work on WYWSHA, and for that I'm sorry. Please review; I like to no what people think. Flames will be ignored, or laughed at. Thank you._

_Yours truly,_

_Phantom of Hogwarts_


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